Support thread for parents of chilldren sitting the transfer test in 2011

dprovan

hi all,

not long to go now.. I won't lie I can't wait for it to be over.

My dd is doing brilliantly, she is working so hard. I feel so much for her and all of our children she tries not to show that she is worried but then we get insights into what she is thinking and can see that she is worrried. She struggles with the comprehension, but to be honest so do I and she continues to make the few careless mistakes which worries me in terms of how she does in the test. But saying all that she has been re-sitting tests she did over the summer and doing much better so I can see that she is coming on and as I said she is working so hard that i could ask for nothing more.

To confirm what others have said, I would not read too much into the incas. Two years ago, when we believed our dd was doing great she scored 18 months behind her age. This year she was 18-24 months ahead of her age. Both times the teacher said I wouldnt read too much into the scores!!!

beccasmum

EBB66 wrote: »

Not much point in worrying too much on what schools accepted scores last year as since its a standardised score it could change a lot from one yr to the next depending on what everyone gets...........:(

This whole standardisation has me confused, surely each year the scores should mean roughly the same as the kids sitting the test can't vary that much. Does anyone really know how much is lost or gained from being eldest or youngest in the year? I have heard all sorts of things ranging from 17 marks being given to young kids to 3-4 marks max. My DS is a November birthday and is doing really well in his practice papers, I hope he doesn't lose too many marks for being 11 by the time he sits the test.

flymetothemoon_2

beccasmum wrote: »

This whole standardisation has me confused, surely each year the scores should mean roughly the same as the kids sitting the test can't vary that much. Does anyone really know how much is lost or gained from being eldest or youngest in the year? I have heard all sorts of things ranging from 17 marks being given to young kids to 3-4 marks max. My DS is a November birthday and is doing really well in his practice papers, I hope he doesn't lose too many marks for being 11 by the time he sits the test.

Hi beccasmum

Unfortunately, I don't think you'll find any actual answers re: the standardisation of scores. There are numerous available methods for this many of which are complex computerised systems. No-one seems to have been able to establish exactly what was done with transfer tests last year. I know people who asked AQE about it but got a useless answer. Many suggested that in the AQE tests last year the maximum extra awarded for younger kids was 3 or 4 marks and that this was only given to kids with a January - June birthday. Kids with earlier birthdays do not actually lose any marks so I don't think your child would lose any marks. My neighbours son did the AQE 2 yrs ago and his birthday is end of May. She told me he got a few points added on for his age - I think she said it was 3. As I said, you'll never get to the bottom of this one!

As for the Bel Tel - I hope they do publish scores again as it does give parents something to go on however you could also ring each school you are interested in and ask them what was the lowest score they accepted last year. Very best of luck to your son - it will soon be over.

RikM

beccasmum wrote: »

This whole standardisation has me confused, surely each year the scores should mean roughly the same as the kids sitting the test can't vary that much. Does anyone really know how much is lost or gained from being eldest or youngest in the year? I have heard all sorts of things ranging from 17 marks being given to young kids to 3-4 marks max. My DS is a November birthday and is doing really well in his practice papers, I hope he doesn't lose too many marks for being 11 by the time he sits the test.

The thing is, the kids taking the test do vary from year to year. It doesn't need to be a lot, to affect the results.
But what the results mean isn't even down to the results themselves, it's down to the scores the schools take, which is going to be influenced by:
1. The overall results.
2. The range of applications.

I think the last couple of years (2) has been varying the borderline scores more than (1). In the end, if your child is borderline, it turns into a bit of a lottery. I can't believe that was the intention, but it seems to be the result.

I'm just hoping they get it sorted out a bit before child number 2 goes through it (in about 9 years time :-) ).

beccasmum

Thanks RikM
I had a daughter do the test 2 years ago and it was very confusing that year as it was the first year of the new system. I received a letter from AQE recently telling me to find out what the schools I am interested in have accepted in the past but if as you say this is a pointless exercise then why are they advising this? I know the boundaries move but they always have, even in the old system, an A was not always a certain mark but it was a guideline. Our local grammar dropped it's entry mark by 10 this year but that was down to less children sitting the tests and hence less applying for places. I would be very interested to know how many have applied this year as this seems to have an impact on entrance requirements. I will be glad when the whole thing is over as all the speculation just concerns me and makes me worry even when my DS's teacher says he is doing very well.:o

flymetothemoon_2

Hi Beccasmum
As you may know, the numbers who applied for both AQE and GL were reported in the press so they may well publish this year's figures next time they run an article on transfer tests, which will probably be next month when the kids are sitting the tests. In case you missed them, the published figures for applications in 2009 were 6719 (GL) and 7023 (AQE) totalling 13,742 kids in 2009 (the 1st year of these tests). Then last year the figures were approx 6,500 (GL) and approx 6,800 (AQE) totalling approx 13,300 kids in 2010. I must say, as my child was doing the AQE in 2010, I was glad to hear that there were approx 200 less applications however, in the end it was of no benefit for kids in our area as all the schools ended up needing higher scores than in 2009. The schools most parents were considering were Belfast High (94 in 2009 but 99 in 2010), Ballyclare High (91 in 2009 but 96 in 2010), BRA (95 in 2009 but 97 in 2010) and Antrim Grammar (94 in 2009 but 97 in 2010). Result was that lots of kids with scores between 91 & 95 did not get into any grammar in 2010 whereas they would have in 2009 so I think it all depends on the number of kids in your area who are actually applying for the schools you want. I always new my childs year had a high birth rate (due to the millineum baby idea they say!) right back to the time of nursery and I also know that my other child who is now in P4 is in a low birth rate year in our area so here's hopin that will work in his favour in 3 yrs time! All schools have to publish the figures re: the number of applications they received for places last year - this is usually available about January each year - so this may bring you some good news!
It's interesting to know that AQE have recommended you ask the schools you're interested in fior their scores - they definitely didn't include that in the letters last year. Just goes to show this whole thing is still developing.

beccasmum

Thanks flymetothemoon.
The number sitting the test in our local grammar this year is higher than last year and I have been told this years P7 is a bigger group overall. I just hope this doesn't put the cut off marks up by much, I suppose it is really a supply and demand thing. The first year of these tests parents didn't understand the results and so only applied to schools they thought they would get in to. Last year I think that lesson had been learnt and parents applied in the order they wanted regardless of marks and that put the cut offs up especially in the Belfast area. Unfortunately for us we only have 2 grammars to choose from and the demand for places is high. I just hope my DS can hold his nerve on the test days and not rush too much and make silly mistakes. His school only started to time them under test conditions this week and there were quite a few kids who didn't get the test finished. I do agree with academic selection but it doesn't half shatter your nerves.:j

flymetothemoon_2

Hey beccasmum
This whole process certainly does shatter the nerves. I hope you find this forum of some support - I know I found this sort of thing very informative last year and quite comforting too, just to know that so many other parents were as distracted as me. The whole takes over family life and the whole house, its just pressure on top of pressure but I can say that once the tests were over I really relaxed and enjoyed the run up to Xmas and beyond, especially with all that snow fun to distract the kids (& adults!). Looking back on the process it was so unpleasant but we felt very strongly that we had to go through it to give our child the best opportunities/choices and I have to say it was worth it, we have no regrets. Life is back to relaxed, normal & happy now and I don't imagine I'll ever be that stressed waiting for GSCE or A level results. To me the transfer test is a bigger deal as it dictates their education for the next 7 yrs.

It won't be long now until you can relax and burn all those practice tests - just hang in. Good luck again.

rofl3

attended 2 familiarisation days so far. 1st seemed poorly attended the 2nd brought home the reality. Huge numbers. made me more anxious ... ds says he's really scared now... this is not what I hoped for

Catherine_:]

My wee brother is sitting the AQE tests and to be honest is he just getting fed up with it all and can't wait for it be over. He is currently scoring about 60-70% in practice papers. He wouldn't be doing it but he has his heart set on going to a grammar school in Belfast, if he doesn't get the marks he needs to go he'll be going to the high school me and my 2 sisters went to one is currently still at it. He attended the familiarisation day at the grammar school he is doing the tests at, there is 291 pupils doing it there :O. He has a tutor that comes to him once a week which is helping him as his scores are slowly but surely beginning to come up. Roll on 3rd December when it is all over and things can get back to normality.